Sport 42: 2014
Bill Manhire
Bill Manhire
Bridle Song
Excellent horse-like lady
you know you drive me crazy
wouldn’t you want to be my baby
wouldn’t you want to be my baby
and run around like you were crazy too
pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says we haven’t got a clue
They say a good commander commandeers the view
(the horseback view, the horseback view)
I was busy commandeering, there was nothing I was fearing
I never thought of running into you
Excellent horse-like lady, excellent horse-like lady
please tell me that you’re commandeering too
pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says we haven’t got a clue
Excellent horse-like lady
your haunches drive me crazy
you’re noodles and you’re gravy
you’re noodles and you’re gravy
Oh come and stir that gravy into stew
She’s a virgin on a stallion!
she’s the general’s embrace!
she’s everything we tell him!
she’s Mozambique and Melbourne!
she’s Bamiyan and Belgium!
she’s a general, a general disgrace!
page 131
pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says we haven’t got a clue
Oh the saddle and the bridle
and the way your body idles
each time you see me sidle up to you
I was feeling fairly tribal
like a wise man in the Bible
till that fateful day I cantered into you
pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says there’s something wrong with you!
Excellent horse-like lady
my body’s slow and shaky
like a horse that might be turning into glue
I tried to hold the line but I lost the tribal spine
yes I lost the tribal spine
I’ve a bullet here made specially for you
pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says he’s got his eye on you
pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says he’s coming soon for you
repeat, hoofbeats, gunfire
My First Hit
I woke up in another lover’s song.
It said: are you a good person or a bad person?
and where you were during the instrumental?
I can’t decide I can’t decide
Guess I’ll wait around in the chorus
it’s the one place where I miss you
one place where I miss you
Now love yes it makes me guess at the world
Love makes my tears to fall
from this other song I’m listening to
It’s true, it’s true, it’s true
don’t like the elephant
don’t like the monkey
don’t like the king
don’t like the flunky
rpt
They’ve all walked in from another song
from another lover’s song
A melody like that you can’t go wrong
it’s sad to wake up in another lover’s song
Gold Goes Platinum
The necessary thing, where did it go
oh oh oh oh
each night the moonlight’s saying no
no no no no
I was trying to read Stalky & Co
I was trying to read Stalky & Co
oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
I lost my place I was losing face
I don’t like Rudyard Kipling
but man that man can sing
Rikkitikkitavi
you’re so charming
Rikkitikkitavi
oh my darling
Rikkitikkitavi
you’re so charming
Rikkitikkitavi
oh my darling
I can’t believe your tender kiss
I can’t believe your tenderness
The end of empire is a special emptiness
The end of empire is a special emptiness